https://onereadreviews.com/home daily 1.0 2023-06-20 https://onereadreviews.com/home/grand-meaulnes monthly 0.5 2022-08-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/949f803f-39bc-4c67-8f07-d61aa3b2f808/52+-+Le+Grande+Meaulnes_Site.png Home - Le Grand Meaulnes - Le Grand Meaulnes • Alain-Fournier ⭑ 6.8 Stars Despite the name of this project, there are books that I have read more than once, but decide to review, because I haven’t read them in years. This is one such book, and a decade makes a difference. In my early twenties, Fornier’s only published novel had a profound impact, as I navigated young adulthood. Now in my thirties, it simply reads as a tale of immaturity under the weighty burden of adulthood. https://onereadreviews.com/home/cold-start-problem monthly 0.5 2022-08-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/11c4f467-2065-46d5-b9f0-a43623bd9bc9/51+-+Cold+Start+Problem_Site.png Home - The Cold Start Problem - The Cold Start Problem • Andrew Chen ⭑ 8.1 Stars I’m going to get back to writing shorter reviews, as I originally intended when I started this project, and there’s no better place to start than with Andrew Chen’s first book. In a sentence, where was this book when I was starting my first company?! If you’re a founder, thinking about joining a startup, or you’re simply interested in how technology companies scale, this is a great place to start. Chen does an excellent job of providing a first principles-style summary of various growth strategies that software companies have deployed as they’ve reached critical inflection points, and how those strategies have contributed to the ultimate success or demise of brands that have shaped the world as we know it today. https://onereadreviews.com/home/infinite-jest monthly 0.5 2022-01-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/d0959cbe-f25c-4647-b8b0-acaa1b884fc9/50+-+Infinite+Jest_Site.png Home - Infinite Jest - Infinite Jest • David Foster Wallace ⭑ 7.7 Stars Not surprisingly, this was an incredibly challenging book for me to rate. As Dave Eggers so poignantly articulates in the prelude, I fall neatly into the category of individual that has attempted and failed to get through this mind-numbingly long novel on multiple occasions throughout my twenties, only to finally accomplish the task after several years apart and with an odd inspiration to do so in my thirties. Regardless of how he successfully summarized the archetype of the reader, I did in fact make another attempt and was finally successful in completing this 1,400+ page behemoth, which has been reviewed more times than the number of individual words in it, so instead of sharing my thoughts on the plot itself, I'll share with you how I'm feeling now that I've finally closed the back cover. Perhaps with intention, I left the book feeling a sense of loss. Because it’s so long, I systematically created a sort of rhythm to my digestion of the dense narrative, consuming reasonable portions at a time, creating a habit that has left me with an odd desire, albeit small, to simply continue the practice, despite my completing the book. It's as if Foster Wallace intentionally wrote Infinite Jest in a manner that he knew would create such a feeling. In reading, I found myself almost entranced by the artistic balance of prose - enduring periods of excruciating detail, because at climaxing moments of pure mental exhaustion, a pleasurable scene of succinct plot progression would rope me back in. The ebb and flow of this pattern was often so well timed that the novel itself mirrors the primary arch within it, itself an ode to the very title on the cover - I feel programmed to continue reading, repetitively ad infinitum. https://onereadreviews.com/home/storyteller monthly 0.5 2022-08-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/d52f668f-5495-480f-adc3-474f2c76d927/49+-+The+Storyteller_Site.png Home - The Storyteller - The Storyteller • Dave Grohl ⭑ 7.2 Stars Nirvana was without a doubt my favorite band growing up. I thoroughly idolized them … the first song I learned to play on the guitar was About A Girl, and playing backseat drums with my mom’s car seats banging along to Smells Like Teen Spirit on repeat may have been the final straw required to convince my parents that I needed a real drum set. If I were critical of anything, the arrangement of Grohl’s autobiography was a bit chaotic, but then again that’s who he is, and come one … Dave Grohl is arguably the only modern rock star left in the public eye, of course you should read his book! https://onereadreviews.com/home/second-foundation monthly 0.5 2022-01-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/08c7d915-039c-4ab8-84a6-870842129b3d/48+-+Second+Foundation_Site.png Home - Second Foundation - Second Foundation • Isaac Asimov ⭑ 4.3 Stars A friend recently shared an opinion about Asimov that, despite my best efforts, I have failed to ignore in forming my own perspective. The opinion - that Asimov was simply not a good writer - started to rear its head as I worked my way through the third installment in his Foundation series, and has since firmly rooted itself in my own analysis - he really wasn’t a strong writer. People tend to confuse the volume of output with skill, and while there’s no denying that Asimov was a prolific storyteller, the stories themselves leave quite a lot to be desired. Although the first and second books in the series held my attention well enough, the utter lack of detail that I first thought was used as a creative mechanic to entice the reader into filling in the gaps, has simply left me frustrated in Second Foundation, where the merry-go-round continues to circle a mundane plot filled with twists that are endlessly conjured by an ever-increasing-yet-minimally-detailed cast of forgettable characters. https://onereadreviews.com/home/bitcoin-billionaires monthly 0.5 2022-01-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/b0a85eea-2736-41fb-be2d-016d02f0121b/47+-+Bitcoin+Billionaires_Site.png Home - Bitcoin Billionaires - Bitcoin Billionaires • Ben Mezrich ⭑ 7.6 Stars I found this story intensely interesting for a number of reasons. First, my perception of the Winklevoss twins had largely been shaped by their portrayal in The Social Network, and I was fascinated by the fact that Mezrich pursued a follow up to his source material for that film, not only because a natural sequel wasn't obvious, but because he felt obligated to correct that invalid portrait of the brothers. Second, I'm a cryptocurrency fanatic and the opportunity to learn more about the origin and evolution of the technology held merit as a story, regardless of the protagonists. Needless to say, it's hard to go wrong when you conjoin (pun intended) two subjects like these, and even harder when Ben Mezrich is at the helm. Like all of his books, the narrative was captivating, revealing, and a hell of a roller coaster ride that had me scribbling notes throughout, most interesting (given the natural volatility of a cryptocurrency like bitcoin) were the amounts of bitcoin purchased by people like the Winklevoss in the coins infancy, with references to value increase in the book are already far outdated (and much, much higher) just a few years following the original publication. https://onereadreviews.com/home/foundation-and-empire monthly 0.5 2022-01-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/a8fe061d-c8e2-4a9e-9b98-0d0601bd4de4/46+-+Foundation+and+Empire_Site.png Home - Foundation and Empire - Foundation and Empire • Isaac Asimov ⭑ 6.7 Stars This series and its author both perplex me in the strangest ways. On one hand, I find it fascinating how Asimov is able to consistently move the plot forward at such a rapid pace without leaving the reader confused about the narrative. On the other hand, while it’s clear the characters and environment are well defined, I continually feel as if I’m only able to visualize a small fraction of the intended attributes before I’m forced to move on with that rapid pace. It’s as if I have one still frame of a movie, but can’t make out the specific details of anything within that frame - character, scenery, or otherwise. In fact, Part 1 of this second entry is a complete blur to me now, having just finished a very distinct Part II that threw its readers for multiple loops, leading to a recognizably loud plot twist at the end. That said, Asimov did not take the easy route in proceeding the narrative forward as I expected him to, and have been hooked well enough to continue with the series! https://onereadreviews.com/home/searching-for-stars monthly 0.5 2022-01-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/15a143d9-41ea-491c-af47-0079f2bf5635/53+-+Searching+for+Stars_Site.png Home - Searching for Stars on an Island in Maine - Searching for Stars on an Island in Maine • Alan Lightman ⭑ 7.1 Stars While not especially detailed, Lightman provides a unique perspective on the existential questions that most humans have asked themselves at least once in their lives. He does so by outlining the primary concepts behind various schools of thought, which collectively paints a rather sobering view of our physical world and its clear lack of permanence. This book is not entirely somber nor joyful, Instead, the physicist and author provides an objective evaluation of our place in the universe, while acknowledging the potential multitude of universes we cannot see, as well as the myriad of potential deities that control an afterlife we won’t ever confirm. https://onereadreviews.com/home/ego-free-leadership monthly 0.5 2022-03-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/7caf272e-6779-4466-aa49-31089378e734/45+-+Ego+Free+Leadership_Site.png Home - Ego Free Leadership - Ego Free Leadership • Brandon Black & Shayne Hughes ⭑ 6.5 Stars Any book with a theme that accentuates the ebbs and flows of a debt collection company would never find its way to my “must read” list, but this book is far more than a corporate fairy tale. Buried within stories of debt collection economics and executive power dynamics are pieces of wisdom I’ve yet to uncover from the celebrity executives or snake oil salesmen professional growth consultants, and if nothing else this book made a lasting impact on my own career perspective in real time. The honest reflection Brandon articulates about his experience grappling with his role as the CEO of a public company and the internal expectations that come with a position of that stature, are beautifully countered by Shayne’s poignant analysis of that reflection, making this part-biography / part-personal growth guide a solid addition to your own reading list. https://onereadreviews.com/home/foundation monthly 0.5 2022-01-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/a3a83549-747d-4a80-b00d-93a56ba8227d/44+-+Foundation_Site.png Home - Foundation - Foundation • Isaac Asimov ⭑ 7.3 Stars After recently completing the Dune anthology, I was hesitant to jump into another science fiction series - although Herbert’s novels were an absolute pleasure to read, the act itself felt like a marathon given his prose. That said, at the urging of friends, I decided to get my shockingly first taste of Asimov, and it did not disappoint! I find it most interesting that Frank Herbert and Isaac Asimov stand equally as pillars of the science fiction genre, while simultaneously employing such remarkably different writing styles. Whereas Herbert wrote in absolute detail, Asimov only scratches the surface, and yet both paint such beautiful pictures in the readers imagination. I was blown away by how well Foundation moved along, and despite the myriad leaps in time, I was never lost for more than a page or two. Ultimately, I was thoroughly enamored by the authors ability to so cleanly open and close monumental events in such a compact novel, and I’m excited to continue the series and eventually watch the adaptation! https://onereadreviews.com/home/brave-new-world monthly 0.5 2022-02-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/e9a8f98d-19c9-44c7-b42f-985437261f52/54+-+Brave+New+World_Site.png Home - Brave New World - Brave New World • Aldous Huxley ⭑ 7.7 Stars In short, Aldous Huxley’s dystopian counterpart to Orwell’s dreary 1984 certainly lived up to its reputation, and is well worth a read! Despite the authors fame, this was the first time I’d read anything by Huxley, and I found his balance between the vivid depiction of a thriving metropolis that any human could reasonably hope to reside, with the underpinnings of manufactured control to be both expertly crafted and profoundly ominous. https://onereadreviews.com/home/accidental-billionaires monthly 0.5 2022-08-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/4ca59c83-e4ed-434b-ae7c-58ad6b99f664/55+-+Accidental+Billionaires_Site.png Home - The Accidental Billionaires - The Accidental Billionaires • Ben Mezrich ⭑ 6.8 Stars I’ve consumed this series in the wrong order entirely. First, I watched Aaron Sorkins acclaimed film - The Social Network - like everyone else. Then, I read (and reviewed) Mezrich’s sequel to the source material of that film - The Bitcoin Billionaires - his effort to adjust the public perception of the Winklevoss twins that he inadvertently created. And I’ve now finally completed this book - the origin to this odd anthology - and found it engaging, but not too dissimilar from the film. https://onereadreviews.com/home/art-of-fielding monthly 0.5 2022-08-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/051ecaf0-8d52-4271-8b33-bd1cb4a70433/56+-+Art+of+Fielding_Site.png Home - The Art of Fielding - The Art of Fielding • Chad Harbach ⭑ 9.0 Stars This book is a masterclass in character and plot development, and I’m certainly not the first to praise the authors debut novel. Harbach somehow intertwines half-a-dozen complex personalities into a narrative that spans the intricacies of baseball, the dynamics of intergenerational romance, and the burdens of depression to shape what’s considered by many critics to be one of the best novels published in the 21st century. https://onereadreviews.com/home/amp-it-up monthly 0.5 2022-03-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/50927181-eaaa-4815-964b-0d20d579a348/57+-+Amp+It+Up_Site.png Home - Amp It Up - Amp It Up • Frank Slootman ⭑ 7.4 Stars I know very little about the three data-centric businesses that Frank Slootman has led as CEO, but that didn’t matter because the lessons that he shares about leadership, culture, and ambition are relevant to anyone, regardless of who you are or what you do. From a small coffee shop to a Fortune 500 enterprise, this book is a must read if you’re interested in understanding what it takes to make an impact in the world. https://onereadreviews.com/home/2001-space-odyssey monthly 0.5 2022-04-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/8f06daa8-2d80-403d-93c4-37f95b8a968b/58+-+2001+A+Space+Odyssey_Site.png Home - 2001 A Space Odyssey - 2001 A Space Odyssey • Arthur C. Clarke ⭑ 7.4 Stars I’ve long been a fan of Stanley Kubrick’s seminal sci-fi film, but was somehow unaware that he had partnered with Arthur C. Clarke to first shape the narrative as a book. Having seen the film dozens of times, I found this text to be illuminating in the amount of detail it sheds, especially given how much of Kubrick’s version is open to interpretation. https://onereadreviews.com/home/elon-musk monthly 0.5 2022-04-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/7664ab28-2eb9-4f3c-be98-48c0e6ceb197/59+-+Elon+Musk_Site.png Home - Elon Musk - Elon Musk • Ashlee Vance ⭑ 7.3 Stars I’ve now read several books about Elon Musk and the companies he’s started, and in all of them I seem to walk away feeling exponentially more ambitious than I had prior to reading them. Although this biography was redundant in parts (having recently read both Liftoff and Power Play), there were still plenty of new details shared about the person I believe to be the greatest entrepreneur of our generation, making this biography well worth the read … at least until Walter Isaacson’s upcoming biography of Musk is completed! https://onereadreviews.com/home/da-vinci monthly 0.5 2022-08-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/9def4493-8b9e-4c4f-a7a6-53939e2f96c3/43+-+Leonardo_Site.png Home - Leonardo Da Vinci - Leonardo Da Vinci • Walter Isaacson ⭑ 6.4 Stars I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again - Walter Isaacson is the very best at what he does. I approached this biography as a genuine test of his ability to capture the attention of an incredibly broad set of readers, and he once again delivered. It’s not as if Leonardo Da Vinci wasn’t an interesting subject, but I had no idea how engaged I’d be throughout this entire book. What resonated most for me was just how resourceful Da Vinci was in his relatively short life. His curiosity and approach to testing his own theories was centuries ahead of his time, and I can’t help but think that regardless of when or where he was born, he’d have always ended up as one of the most successful entrepreneurs of his generation. https://onereadreviews.com/home/ishmael monthly 0.5 2022-04-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1649331707037-B3DVOPDEOD1DSTAGWI81/60+-+Ishmael_Site.png Home - Ishmael - Ishmael • Daniel Quinn ⭑ 7.1 Stars I find it particularly interesting when a fiction novel is able to materially change the way that millions of people view the world, and this book happens to be one of them. Look up reviews of the novel and you’ll see everyone from Jack Dorsey to Reddit user anon123 preaching that this book changed their lives. Although it didn’t have as deep an impact on me personally, I can appreciate the sentiment and think it’s well worth the read if you’re interested in exploring the impact that modern civilization has on our planet. https://onereadreviews.com/home/the-founders monthly 0.5 2022-04-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/137e3f0d-3808-404c-af20-73c6c612452a/61+-+The+Founders_Site.png Home - The Founders - The Founders • Jimmy Soni ⭑ 7.4 Stars It’s truly remarkable how much an impact that PayPal has had on the modern fintech infrastructure we take for granted today. Without them, the one-click digital payment experience we enjoy today may have taken another decade or more to evolve. Even more remarkable were the number of challenges that the Confinity and X.com teams narrowly cleared individually, and the wars that were narrowly won as a combined force. Should they have failed, dozens of revolutionary companies may have never seen the light of day including Affirm, LinkedIn, SpaceX, Tesla, Yelp, Youtube, and many more. https://onereadreviews.com/home/razors-edge monthly 0.5 2022-04-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/3e5e0e02-6892-49d8-bbe8-803f20508874/62+-+Razors+Edge_Site.png Home - The Razor’s Edge - The Razor’s Edge • W. Somerset Maugham ⭑ 6.8 Stars Similar to my review of Le Grande Meaulnes, I came back to this book more than a decade after first reading it, but unlike the former, Maugham’s novel stood the test of time. This is an incredibly “easy” read that doesn’t require much cerebral activity, but once completed feels as if you’ve genuinely watched the course of entire lives play out start to finish - that in particular is Maugham’s genius and the reason I’ll continue his body of work soon. https://onereadreviews.com/home/chapterhouse-dune monthly 0.5 2022-04-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1649332209758-4PAMSH2V5IDXXTACCMAI/42+-+Chapterhouse+Dune_Site.png Home - Chapterhouse: Dune - Chapterhouse: Dune • Frank Herbert ⭑ 5.8 Stars This marks the end of my journey through the Dune anthology, and it’s unfortunate that it ended with more of a whisper than it did a bang. There appears to be a consensus among reviews that the sixth and final take from the Dune universe explicitly written by Frank Herbert is the least enthralling. I myself found the first 500 pages to move at an incredibly slow pace, marked by a constant barrage of mundane and far-from-interesting dialogue. The style of writing is markedly different than the previous entry in the series, and even stranger the novel turns on a dime with an attempt to pack an incredible amount of action into the final 100 pages, leaving the reader with more questions than answers in a book that would truly be the authors final entry, as Herbert passed away only months after its publication. Although a disappointing end, this book in no way changed my enthusiasm for the series, and I’m ready to dust off the original entry ahead of its modern film debut later this month! https://onereadreviews.com/home/power-play monthly 0.5 2022-05-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1649332348159-XIM5E191I41NIKLLXO1Q/41+-+Power+Play_Site.png Home - Power Play - Power Play • Tim Higgins ⭑ 6.9 Stars Although this retelling of the early days at Tesla wasn’t quite as captivating as the recently reviewed Liftoff (the story of Space X), it reminded me at a time when I needed it most just how powerful hope and determination can be in company building. Musk, but more importantly the Tesla team cheated death so many times, that it’s not only remarkable the company survived at all, but that the Tesla brand has defied the odds to single handedly build a mass market electric vehicle that will, in all likelihood, move the human population away from our dependence on fossil fuel once and for all. https://onereadreviews.com/home/heretics-of-dune monthly 0.5 2022-05-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1649332492394-6DGQBQ2ZB59AMRH8KNHH/40+-+Heretics+of+Dune_Site.png Home - Heretics of Dune - Heretics of Dune • Frank Herbert ⭑ 9.2 Stars I'm shocked to say that this book is the finest piece of writing in the Dune series thus far. I had held firm, until now, that the first book perfectly encapsulated the best of science fiction writing, both in plot and language, but what Frank Herbert accomplished with this fifth installment has surpassed that initial success and then some - for me, at least. Perhaps it's because the broader pieces of the puzzle are in place, having completed the first four books recently, but in Heretics of Dune, new characters are so expertly crafted with such genuine depth, and so eloquently woven into the folds of a history that now extends thousands of years beyond where we started, that I remained thoroughly engaged to the final page - I couldn't put down Herbert’s penultimate masterpiece, and I suspect you'll feel the same! https://onereadreviews.com/home/blood-sweat-chrome monthly 0.5 2022-05-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1649878248864-4E5ORB2D5J4WW1FVUDKE/63+-+Blood+Sweat+%26+Chrome_Site.png Home - Blood, Sweat, & Chrome - Blood, Sweat, & Chrome • Kyle Buchanan ⭑ 6.6 Stars If you haven’t seen the latest installment in the Mad Max film franchise, I highly advise you watch it immediately. After you see it, you’ll understand why a book was required to document the two decades-long journey that the crew took to complete it. And if you’ve already seen the film, this book provides a layer of color that will only further solidify the widely accepted belief that Fury Road is one of the greatest action films ever made. https://onereadreviews.com/home/pale-king monthly 0.5 2022-05-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/762277e2-6c04-4df1-bbaa-05093a53ca29/64+-+The+Pale+King_Site.png Home - The Pale King - The Pale King • David Foster Wallace ⭑ 7.5 Stars David Foster Wallace's posthumously published, yet incomplete novel is by definition a book that only he could write. The genius of his style is so clearly marked by the nauseatingly detailed divergences he employs, it's not only a miracle that the reader isn't driven to pulling their their own hair out, but that it’s this detail that keeps them fully engaged. Supreme talent is required to balance that line, and the abrupt ending of the novel is a somber reminder that the world lost one of our very best storytellers far too soon. https://onereadreviews.com/home/order-of-time monthly 0.5 2022-06-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1653393892760-4A8OEBNGJPUIL6F3CSB6/65+-+The+Order+of+Time_Site.png Home - The Order of Time - The Order of Time • Carlo Rovelli ⭑ 6.2 Stars Although this book can be quite technical at times, the overarching theme remained constant - time is fleeting for all sentient beings, and we’d be wise not to waste it. https://onereadreviews.com/home/may-day monthly 0.5 2022-08-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1653394015088-O4L6I8EA4AUM35CMLJTD/66+-+May+Day_Site.png Home - May Day - May Day • F. Scott Fitzgerald ⭑ 6.5 Stars In just a handful of pages, the famed author expertly crafts a set of characters deeply enough to establish emotional connectivity with the reader, and builds a seamless arc that ties them together from beginning to end. https://onereadreviews.com/home/messy-middle monthly 0.5 2022-05-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1653394244430-ZIM74TRIDJQU84JAAWYQ/39+-+The+Messy+Middle_Site.png Home - The Messy Middle - The Messy Middle • Scott Belsky ⭑ 7.5 Stars Few books hit home for me as much as The Messy Middle did. Scott Belsky tackled one of the most important, yet often unspoken truths about starting a company - it sucks. While I generally believe that we’ve moved past romanticizing the process of building a startup that became so prevalent around the release of Aaron Sorkin’s The Social Network, very little is ever mentioned about the valley that’s endured between the launch of a new company, and either their successful exit or more likely their death. The rapturous headlines that praise big funding rounds and even bigger acquisitions only perpetuate the belief that all startups scale rapidly, and that the majority of them succeed - as Biz Stone puts it, the 10-year overnight success. Unfortunately, most startups don’t succeed, the majority of them fail and do so in agonizing fashion for the team onboard the ship. In this book, Belsky uses his own experience founding, building, and eventually exiting Behance, to explain to the reader just how tedious and agonizing the process is for founding teams. As a founder currently navigating the messy middle of a journey myself, this book had my attention from beginning to end, and produced a regular wave of emotions throughout the process. https://onereadreviews.com/home/god-emperor-of-dune monthly 0.5 2022-05-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1653394433581-IT53QUV20A8LAQZ8FZU6/38+-+God+Emperor+of+Dune_Site.png Home - God Emperor of Dune - God Emperor of Dune • Frank Herbert ⭑ 8.4 Stars There’s no one more surprised by this rating than me. To say I was skeptical of a fourth novel in the Dune series would be an understatement, especially one where so few characters that first shaped my image of Dune had been relegated to the background, given the 3,500+ year advance in time between stories. The reason for this rating is grounded purely in Herbert’s distinct ability to so beautifully craft a narrative that captures the reader immediately, and progresses a variety of interesting plots eloquently throughout the entire novel. As a fan of the anthology, it was a pleasure to be reunited with old characters throughout the story, but it was the thought provoking dialogue that I found most refreshing. I had taken a break from the series, but am re-energized to complete the second trilogy in advance of the upcoming release of the first big-budget Dune movie later this year! https://onereadreviews.com/home/no-rules-rules monthly 0.5 2022-05-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1653394560864-85C7TVWDO0EBUHMJ8HKE/37+-+No+Rules+Rules_Site.png Home - No Rules Rules - No Rules Rules • Reed Hastings & Erin Meyer ⭑ 7.4 Stars There’s a succinct line towards the end of this book that I believe perfectly encapsulates the Netflix culture - it operates at the edge of chaos. I found this overview of the Netflix company culture to be wonderfully informative, and although I don’t agree with each principle addressed, the machine that Reed Hastings built to attract and retain talent is remarkable. Given that I’m currently operating within a startup and constantly hiring new people, there were several points as I absorbed this audiobook that I found myself racing to take note of a particular tactic or philosophy that could directly impact my own life immediately. Despite the many biographies and strategy books I read, this desire to capture key anecdotes is a rare occurrence. That wasn’t the case with Hastings and Meyers joint effort, in fact, I recently secured a top candidate with competing offers as a direct result of my implementation of advice delivered in this book into our recruiting process. In addition to the dozens of other notes I captured about team and family dynamics, trusting employees, and delivering effective feedback, the book closes with an analogy I won’t soon forget. Meyer eloquently paints the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris as the founding principle that guides the company - “… precedence is given to anyone attempting to enter the structure, but beyond that - know where you want to go, focus on your goal, and use your best judgement. If you do that, you’ll probably get there quickly, and unharmed.” https://onereadreviews.com/home/astrophysics monthly 0.5 2022-05-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1653394739630-H9C5UZZBHNOD3MD2VOK0/36+-+Astrophysics_Site.png Home - Astrophysics for People in a Hurry - Astrophysics for People in a Hurry • Neil deGrasse Tyson ⭑ 7.4 Stars Despite the pocket-sized nature of this book, deGrasse Tyson’s effort to simplify the world around us packs a big punch. Personally, the content of this “universe for dummies” handbook reminded me just how small we are, given the expansive nature of the known (and unknown) space we occupy. And yet, despite our size, if we’re the only sentient life in our galaxy, I find myself wondering if that state makes us inherently critical to the longevity of our galaxy, and for that matter the entire known universe? One particular passage at the end of the book summarizes that perspective well, in that our micro-actions may seem inconsequential, but if those actions have an outsized impact on our survival, perhaps we should consider with more care the way we treat our environment and the life that inhabits it. https://onereadreviews.com/home/subtle-art monthly 0.5 2022-08-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1653394905446-1Z8V3NZOZKVYLP7U0ADR/35+-+Subtle+Art_Site.png Home - The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck - The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck • Mark Manson ⭑ 5.4 Stars If a book can be categorized as anything remotely close to self-help, I tend to avoid it at all costs. But, for whatever reason I decided to give Mark Manson’s best seller a shot, and although it hasn’t drastically changed my perspective on the broader category, it wasn’t bad. In particular, the moments of honest reflection about his own before and after states following life altering events was interesting, and forced me to pause and reflect on my own. In fact, the recent on-field cardiac event suffered by Christian Eriksen kept reappearing in my thoughts as I listened to the final chapter of this audiobook, not surprisingly titled “…and then you die.” It struck me that Eriksen’s situation perfectly encapsulates the universally accepted, yet often ignored fact that death comes to us all. Eriksen was, by most earthly measures, in the top 1% of healthy human adults, and yet in a matter of seconds he was gone (before miraculously being resuscitated by the team doctor). If there’s a takeaway from this book, for me it was the reminder that we have no idea what we’re doing here, and although none of it may matter in the end, pursuing what I find to be most valuable in the short time I have here is absolutely worth it. https://onereadreviews.com/home/project-hail-mary monthly 0.5 2022-05-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1653395033834-A4S4OFZO6TFCQOLF6TEF/34+-+Hail+Mary_Site.png Home - Project Hail Mary - Project Hail Mary • Andy Weir ⭑ 5.1 Stars Given the worldwide success of The Martian, I had high expectations that unfortunately weren’t met in Weir’s latest effort. Although there were many redeemable qualities about the novel, including an ambitious vision and several references to modern day technology, the book had a difficult time straddling that same day reality with the sci-fi driven narrative of a human being saving humanity from another galaxy with the support of a sentient alien. This effect is only compounded by Weir’s attempt to cram warnings of genuine environmental destruction with validated scientific support into an already far fetched narrative, forcing the reader to balance between reality and fiction in a way that almost diminishes the effect of those warnings. Overall, it was a bit tedious of a read and you’d be better off reading another book from Weir’s catalog. https://onereadreviews.com/home/secret-life-of-groceries monthly 0.5 2022-08-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1653395189603-YQJYZSSTKLC3ANF9SGXJ/33+-+Secret+Life+of+Groceries_Site.png Home - The Secret Life of Groceries - The Secret Life of Groceries • Benjamin Lorr ⭑ 7.2 Stars I was hooked from the first page of this book, and while the authors writing style was certainly engaging, it was the content that made this book so interesting. The complexity that is the modern grocery story is remarkable not because of anything that a single store, vendor, or manufacturer has accomplished, but because it’s a miracle that the collective supply chain exists at all. There’s one story in the book that emphasizes this miracle best - in what can only be described as a simultaneous stroke of luck and tragedy, a single fisherman discovered that by removing a single eyeball from a female shrimp, we could expedite the onset of ovulation, a challenge that had stopped the shrimping industry from mass expansion to that point. This bizarre scientific discovery, however, became the sole driver of what is now a multi-billion dollar industry. While miraculous, Lorr is also keen to acknowledge the moral dilemma associated with almost everything that we eat, and therefore take for granted. He does so by expertly weaving in personal stories of struggle and triumph that perfectly encapsulate an industry that relies on human exploitation and animal suffering to make ends meet. https://onereadreviews.com/home/yearbook monthly 0.5 2022-05-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1653395325431-TGTWS1SE098PK6D3C4U4/32+-+Yearbook_Site.png Home - Yearbook - Yearbook • Seth Rogen ⭑ 6.8 Stars As the weather has improved, I’ve been walking to work more often, which takes about 40 minutes round trip. If it weren’t for the noticeably bright white AirPods in my ears, it’s likely that I’d have been considered crazy to passerby’s the week that I listened to this audiobook on my commute, given my constant and hysterical laughing. Don’t let the star count fool you, this book is only below a 7.0, because on a scale of literary relevance, it doesn’t hold up to more thoughtful biographies, but if you need a good laugh this is the book for you! I truly recommend listening to Yearbook, because in true Hollywood fashion not only does Rogen sprinkle in a number of high-production value re-enactments and color commentary, but often does so with star cameos and impersonators that will leave you gasping for breathe. https://onereadreviews.com/home/liftoff monthly 0.5 2022-05-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1653395433982-6U1NC0ARL53LVXRAG6BL/31+-+Liftoff_Site.png Home - Liftoff - Liftoff • Eric Berger ⭑ 8.9 Stars As soon as I saw the recommendation for this book on Twitter, I jumped at the opportunity to dive in. There are few things I’m more intrigued by than what Musk and his team of pirates have built at Space X, so to hear a genuine account of the early days seemed almost too good to be true. It was that good, in fact it exceeded all expectations. The first hand retelling of what amounts to a linear progression of miracles is nothing short of amazing. From scientific breakthroughs, to twenty-somethings diving into the heart of a rocket that was literally imploding - the last possible rocket that Space X could launch before failing mind you - in order to save the day and the company was thrilling - I highly recommend this book! https://onereadreviews.com/home/on-the-road monthly 0.5 2022-05-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1653395557964-Y78YIE3O9774AMDHQ9X0/30+-+On+The+Road_Site.png Home - On The Road - On The Road • Jack Kerouac ⭑ 8.6 Stars After a few years, I decided to dust off this well-worn cover and dive into the narrative that first infatuated me with storytelling again. It’s been at least five years since I last read it, and given the structure I was worried I’d struggle to remain focused, but it was as engaging as I remembered. It was odd reading Kerouac’s original scroll now in my thirties with no energy or desire to jump ship and set sail, but I was able to appreciate new elements of the novel and his wonderful ability to characterize the people, scenes and movements he enjoyed in his generation-defining book. https://onereadreviews.com/home/think-again monthly 0.5 2022-05-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1653395725360-3CE1K2ML8KPOAG8UM3W0/29+-+Think+Again_Site.png Home - Think Again - Think Again • Adam Grant ⭑ 7.3 Stars Once again (pun intended), Adam Grant hits it out of the park with an easy-to-read, yet genuinely thought provoking challenge of our seemingly collective approach to personal growth. Naturally well timed during what seems to be an endless barrage of polarized hot takes, Grant lays out clear steps to rethinking the perspectives you may feel attached to, by using examples where the practice of reevaluation (or lack thereof) impacted individual lives and even changed the course of history. https://onereadreviews.com/home/children-of-dune monthly 0.5 2022-05-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1653395884174-Z8IUR4OV9NI9MYRKIVAT/28+-+Children+of+Dune_Site.png Home - Children of Dune - Children of Dune • Frank Herbert ⭑ 8.3 Stars I struggled to decide how I should rate this book. Although I typically determine the number of stars as an instinctual reaction to each individual book that I complete, I had a hard time separating Children of Dune from the anthology that it’s a part of, especially having completed the series in succession, thus far. Ultimately, it landed in the middle - not quite as good as the lead-in (Dune), but certainly more entertaining than the sequel (Dune Messiah). Overall, it was clear from the start just how much effort Herbert put into this novel. The plot lines are expansive, but without leaving the reader scratching their head in an effort to keep up. My one criticism, is that so much is spent on building up scenes that result in nothing, while the biggest moments of the story seem to emerge out of nowhere, before moving on just as quickly. Strategic decisions and character deaths are swift, and although they hit the reader with a jolt, they can be jarring. All of that said, I do think I’ll be taking a short break before completing the series. We’re now generations from Paul Maud’dib and his ascension to power, and I need a moment to breathe before catapulting what looks to be thousands of years forward once more. https://onereadreviews.com/home/life-3-dot-0 monthly 0.5 2022-05-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1653396061017-XULJIJKAEHKF8C5DEAFM/27+-+Life+3.0_Site.png Home - Life 3.0 - Life 3.0 • Max Tegmark ⭑ 8.1 Stars Never has a prologue to a book so thoroughly moved me, as much as the entry point to this thought provoking, and at times frightening view of the potential reality we may face in the coming decades. From the (currently) fictional tale of a company named Prometheus, the author hooked me into a mind bending overview of the many potential futures that are likely to exist, as we move closer to producing general artificial intelligence (GAI). Despite these potential outcomes and the ramifications associated with each, after completing the audiobook I was left feeling certain of only one thing, that GAI is inevitable and that the people pursuing the development and safety of that technology are the entrepreneurs of our generation. While it’s not often publicized, and even more rarely publicized in a positive light, the work that’s been started by a number of organizations is incredibly important, and I hope as the author of this book does, that we find a way to harness that technology for good before it’s too late. https://onereadreviews.com/home/dune-messiah monthly 0.5 2022-05-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1653396196800-LHZD9YQOKFIW70RIGL86/26+-+Dune+Messiah_Site.png Home - Dune Messiah - Dune Messiah • Frank Herbert ⭑ 7.5 Stars The train has left the station and there’s no turning back on my interest in this series, so I’ll likely review these in succession, with non-fiction reviews interspersed. Based on the prelude from Frank’s son, it’s fair to assume that I align with most readers in experiencing a slight letdown with the sequel to Herbert’s enormously successful introduction to the series. But, that isn’t to say I don’t appreciate the thoughtful narrative and general “bridge” nature of the book. In fact, there’s something to be said for his commenting on the nature of power and the often inescapable result of unbridled ambition. There was plenty of emotion packed into a few dozen pages at the end of the novel, but as I’ve learned to be standard practice with Herbert’s writing, a clear setup for continued attachment to the remaining characters has me eager to start Children of Dune next! https://onereadreviews.com/home/team-of-rivals monthly 0.5 2022-05-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1653396323980-KA7D2B4S890GF00GMTQQ/25+-+Team+of+Rivals_Site.png Home - Team of Rivals - Team of Rivals • Doris Kearns Goodwin ⭑ 4.2 Stars This one was difficult to get through, in large part due to the “historical biography” categorization, but I had heard great things for years and finally found the 40+ hour window I’d need to digest the audiobook. I was able to complete it, but it was not enjoyable, and has only further cemented my sincere lack of interest in such elongated retellings. https://onereadreviews.com/home/dune monthly 0.5 2022-05-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1653396568803-9NWQL79CKOY2DSBJJ2PF/24+-+Dune_Site.png Home - Dune - Dune • Frank Herbert ⭑ 9.1 Stars he hype is real with this one. I know I’m late to the game, but I’ve now joined the hoards of Dune fans after finishing perhaps the best sci-fi book I’ve ever read. With this category of fiction in particular, I often struggle with the learning curve presented in the first few pages of a new novel. It’s an almost impossible task for a sci-fi author to setup a new world in a way that can be comprehended by a mass audience, but that’s exactly what Frank Herbert accomplished with the first piece of his six-part Dune anthology. From the first page I was captivated by the detail of the narrative. The way he provides consumable pieces that establish a foundation for each phase of the book. He creatively repeats critical elements in new ways, to engrain aspects of the world that are important for the reader to grasp later in the story. The collection of those pieces end up producing a novel that I will surely read again, and one that I can’t wait to see as a film later this year. https://onereadreviews.com/home/uncanny-valley monthly 0.5 2022-05-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1653396681122-1IMDVQ33SGGFSTI54A3D/23+-+Uncanny+Valley_Site.png Home - Uncanny Valley - Uncanny Valley • Doris Kearns Goodwin ⭑ 7.1 Stars As I was navigating Scribd to the next audiobook on my list, this recently released memoir popped up in a banner advertisement on the app, and I decided to give it a shot. In the past, I’ve been skeptical of any book touting criticism of startups or technology, but with Anna Weiner’s debut I was pleasantly surprised. The word that kept rattling around in my head while I listened to this book was thoughtful - her opinions, positions, and general criticisms were entirely thoughtful. She’s self-aware, deprecating, and funny, all of which comes across as genuine in this concise retelling of her own trip through the bubble known as Silicon Valley. Perhaps my appreciation is simply because I could relate to her story. Although I only spent three months living in San Francisco (as part of the incubator she cites often in the book), it was long enough to appreciate how jarring the culture can be for anyone not embedded deep into the ecosystem. https://onereadreviews.com/home/white-paper monthly 0.5 2022-08-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1653396804084-JQCB9YSL1L5J5F79YSC1/22+-+Bitcoin_Site.png Home - The White Paper - The White Paper • Satoshi Nakamoto ⭑ 7.0 Stars Who would have thought that 8 pages of writing and mathematical equations could have such a lasting impact on the world? That’s not even considering the fact that it was published under a pseudonym, and to this day it’s still not clear who wrote it. But, that’s where we are, and although the document becomes increasingly technical with each page, if you have the faintest bit (pun intended) of interest in understanding blockchain technology, I recommend that you find a few minutes to read this paper. Yes, you could carry on a brief conversation about P2P networks by watching HBO’s Silicon Valley, but nothing can replace the root of the crypto revolution that was first ignited by Satoshi Nakamoto in this groundbreaking paper. https://onereadreviews.com/home/this-is-water monthly 0.5 2022-05-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1653396909067-8XED2B6WPHNLQMGL45CJ/21+-+This+is+Water_Site.png Home - This Is Water - This Is Water • David Foster Wallace ⭑ 8.3 Stars Documentation of a commencement speech given by the author at Kenyon College, this may be the most impactful 20-minute read I’ve ever experienced. It’s certainly a book I will carry with me and pick up often, if for no other reason than to remind myself to consider what other people may be going through. https://onereadreviews.com/home/dream-story monthly 0.5 2022-05-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1653397131894-O4TZ8UDAE19U1IGFCVF6/20+-+Dream+Story_Site.png Home - Dream Story - Dream Story • Arthur Schnitzler ⭑ 6.4 Stars Ever since I saw the film Eyes Wide Shut by Stanley Kubrick, I’ve been meaning to read the source material - this novella. The film is one of my all-time favorites, but the written form didn’t quite elicit the same reaction from me. Despite the impressively detailed plot similarities between both works, there are inescapable differences that make it challenging to consider them equal. Having seen the Kubrick version multiple times, I’ve grown fond of his modern American take on a psychological journey. In Schnitzler’s 1926 version, I grappled with the vastly different 20th Century European setting that acts as the foundation to a slightly augmented visualization of Dr. Fridolin’s adventure. https://onereadreviews.com/home/snow-crash monthly 0.5 2022-06-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1653397281223-J2NLRATF5VE0STLI7W7G/19+-+Snow+Crash_Site.png Home - Snow Crash - Snow Crash • Neal Stephenson ⭑ 9.0 Stars This novel has been recommended to me on countless times, and I was finally able to prioritize it! Snow Crash is an incredibly fun story with a peculiar number of details that are far too relevant today, despite its publishing date (1992). If you’re looking for a fiction novel with some meat on its bones, look no further! An aside - as I was reading, I was astounded that it hadn’t been produced as a movie, given the sprawling detail of a not-so-distant future and the intriguing, but manageable plot. Apparently it’s coming to HBO Max as a series - I have high hopes for the visual display! https://onereadreviews.com/home/talent monthly 0.5 2022-06-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1655207014252-NJ0K9PE07XL0SIGKN95X/67+-+Talent_Site.png Home - Talent - Talent • Tyler Cowen & Daniel Gross ⭑ 8.2 Stars An unlikely but formidable duo, Cowen and Gross use their academic and industry prowess to shed light on both the opportunity and the tactics you can use to identify talented people who are often overlooked. https://onereadreviews.com/home/promised-land monthly 0.5 2022-06-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/abb9b1e5-519e-42d6-8c5d-6b92d4d1ff51/18+-+Promised+Land_Site.png Home - A Promised Land - A Promised Land • Barack Obama ⭑ 8.0 Stars I decided to end 2020 with what I knew would be a refreshing reminder of what leadership is supposed to look like, which I found in President Obama’s biography. If nothing else, his ability to eloquently piece together a thoughtful narrative in an approachable tone is a genuine gift, and the book was a joy to listen to with the author himself on the mic. That said, he doesn’t ignore the opportunity to make quick jabs across the aisle, consistently assuring the reader that any bad behavior from within his own party “wasn’t nearly as bad, as the Republicans.” But overall, his latest best seller is a remarkable retelling of one of the best underdog stories I’ve ever witnessed, and is a timely reminder of how inspiring a strong leader can be during difficult situations. https://onereadreviews.com/home/greenlights monthly 0.5 2022-06-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1655207406040-Z72GNPOYUY6M1FAYSX94/17+-+Greenlights_Site.png Home - Greenlights - Greenlights • Matthew McConaughey ⭑ 6.3 Stars First and foremost, this autobiography must be consumed as an audiobook, because it's narrated by Matthew himself. His voice makes an intriguing story even more captivating, to the point where it felt wrong listening at 1.25x speed. Generally, McConaughey is far more interesting than an average person, and while it may not be an enlightening read in many ways, it’s an entertaining way to pass the time on a road trip. https://onereadreviews.com/home/onward monthly 0.5 2022-06-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1655207548819-252DGH9IZH0OHXJWEFR4/16+-+Onward_site.png Home - Onward - Onward • Howard Schultz ⭑ 3.1 Stars I try my best to approach any biography written by a successful entrepreneur as an opportunity to learn. I did the same with this book, but in the first thirty pages it was clear that there would be little to learn. Throughout the book, Schultz never shakes his ego - from bumbling on about why he had to return as CEO of Starbucks to save the company from an existential problem that only he could comprehend, to harping on the “revolutionary” practices he implemented during his second tenure. Approach this book with caution, it will feel like a marathon to finish, and the biggest lesson in putting the book down - remain humble. https://onereadreviews.com/home/count-of-monte-cristo monthly 0.5 2022-06-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1655207694801-4W6SW4UJUOSJDMJYBWXV/15+-+Count_Site.png Home - The Count of Monte Cristo - The Count of Monte Cristo • Alexandre Dumas ⭑ 9.3 Stars The epic tale of Edmond Dantès has long been my favorite fiction novel. It's been years since I last read it, but its placement on my shelf remains the same - at the very top. I’ve always been impressed by the sheer volume of the tale, the intricacies and detail that Dumas (with some help) carefully wove across 1,000+ pages. This skill seems to be a lost art, but with time apart and new experiences in my own life, I find myself impressed by more than the magnificent craftsmanship this time around. The story evokes every emotion - jubilation, confusion, despair - all within the first handful of pages, before proceeding to highlight the very best in human ingenuity and ambition. It's a remarkable story and one that I'll continue to return to often. https://onereadreviews.com/home/innovators monthly 0.5 2022-06-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1655207807066-LXDBZ4MZEKFY9ZFJJR9P/14+-+Innovators_Site.png Home - The Innovators - The Innovators • Walter Isaacson ⭑ 7.2 Stars Speaking as someone working in tech, but who isn't technical - this abridged history is a wonderful starting point for anyone interested in learning about the contributors, and the fortuitous breaks that were required for us to enjoy our modern technical world. I'll also note that as I consume more biographies, it has become clear that there may be a lot of biographers in the world, but there's only one Walter Isaacson. https://onereadreviews.com/home/stubborn-attachements monthly 0.5 2022-06-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1655207932669-SKGD589U7QAJFW8MZPXM/13+-+Stubborn_Site.png Home - Stubborn Attachements - Stubborn Attachements • Tyler Cowen ⭑ 5.6 Stars Although I found Cowen’s book to be educational and even approachable at times, it felt far too academic overall. Perhaps I should have expected this, considering the authors tenure and the publishers penitent for educational manifests, but the few examples of kitchen-English throughout the book were often followed by dense historical or mathematical reasoning that ultimately tested my patience. https://onereadreviews.com/home/steve-jobs monthly 0.5 2022-06-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1655208168210-FNPR9MG81M1SI1MG5C8Q/12+-+Steve+Jobs_Site.png Home - Steve Jobs - Steve Jobs • Walter Isaacson ⭑ 8.9 Stars Unlike my last review, the biography of Steve Jobs does well to share multiple accounts of a human who genuinely impacted millions of people, while simultaneously hurting dozens of the contributors he relied on to make that impact. Ultimately, this biography is an honest account that tugs at every emotion. While listening to this book I found myself laughing, clenching my fists, and fighting back tears on what felt like an endless loop. In hindsight, without that emotional range he wouldn’t have been Steve Jobs and we wouldn’t have Apple - the company he built to last. https://onereadreviews.com/home/shoe-dog monthly 0.5 2022-06-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1655208368343-HK11ZVSHT8MN10BMP9WP/11+-+Shoe+Dog_Site.png Home - Shoe Dog - Shoe Dog • Phil Knight ⭑ 7.6 Stars This one was easy, because I share the sentiment of the millions of people that have read and raved about this biography. It would have been easy for Mr. Knight to dazzle us with any number of personal stories, but his narrative stops short of the celebrity cameos one might expect, and instead gives the reader an honest look behind the curtain. This is required reading for entrepreneurs, because if nothing else you can take away the fact that one of the most valuable brands of all time teetered on the brink dozens of times, and that the success we see today is a result of the Nike teams tireless effort, unshakeable belief, and a healthy dose of luck. https://onereadreviews.com/home/trillion-dollar-coach monthly 0.5 2022-06-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1655208509098-HWUC0I687L1YZAYQ1R00/10+-+Trillion_Site.png Home - Trillion Dollar Coach - Trillion Dollar Coach • Eagle, Schmidt, Rosenberg ⭑ 7.0 Stars This posthumous biography shares an insightful profile about longtime professional coach Bill Campbell, written by three Google executives that worked closely with him. Collectively, they provide a refreshing perspective on the inner workings of some of the most successful startups in history, uniquely guided by a man that thousands of people considered to be their best friend. I found it particularly interesting to learn about the way he engaged everyone he met with the same candor, from his lifelong football teammates to Steve Jobs, and everyone in between. https://onereadreviews.com/home/chaos-monkeys monthly 0.5 2022-06-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1655208841629-Y3YCTOLGFL2WUCNHVVPR/9+-+Chaos_Site.png Home - Chaos Monkeys - Chaos Monkeys • Antonio García Martínez ⭑ 6.1 Stars I'm likely giving this a higher score than it deserves. I'm biased given the similar experience Antonio describes in his oddly paced debut, and the one that I've personally had in Silicon Valley. In particular, he boldly goes into detail about a number of people that I consider friends, which caught me off guard. Overall, it's a good introduction to some of the mechanics you might find in the Bay Area, especially if you're interested in understanding how someone could so quickly go from startup employee, to startup founder, to Facebook. https://onereadreviews.com/home/talking-to-strangers monthly 0.5 2022-06-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1655209087768-JU8N31PODKZNYA0TMJOH/8+-+Talking+to+Strangers_Site.png Home - Talking to Strangers - Talking to Strangers • Malcolm Gladwell ⭑ 5.2 Stars Like all of his books, Gladwell does a good job of capturing your attention by analyzing a difficult subject through a unique lens. However, it also shares a problem I’ve come to notice in his more recent work - this book feels scattered, points are made at random, and are often tied back to previously mentioned examples that were delivered in a hurry and difficult to remember. It was an interesting read, but it’s not his best work. https://onereadreviews.com/home/grind monthly 0.5 2022-06-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1655209221408-K1KESHI15QR2MFAPV52F/7+-+Grind_Site.png Home - Grind - Grind • Michael McFall ⭑ 6.7 Stars Part biography, part advice - Grind was one of the most honest perspectives on entrepreneurship that I’ve ever read. The narrative is due in large part to the company Michael built at Biggby Coffee, an industry that allows him to use the raw imagery of his early days mopping floors and cleaning dishes, to emphasize his point that it’s incredibly difficult to build a business. This book can be the smack in the mouth that most entrepreneurs need early into their venture, if they know to look for it! https://onereadreviews.com/home/overstory monthly 0.5 2022-06-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1655209412023-6R6B74FD1Y13MM5DTVLZ/6+-+Overstory_Site.png Home - The Overstory - The Overstory • Richard Powers ⭑ 9.2 Stars It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book that I didn’t want to put down, especially when it’s been difficult to find the time to pick it up in the first place! The authors command of the English language is engrossing. He somehow finds a way to blend scientific terminology with elegant prose, all while spiraling through an engaging collection of stories that are so well crafted, it’s no wonder why the Pulitzer Prize was awarded for this deserving bestseller. https://onereadreviews.com/home/calypso monthly 0.5 2022-06-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1655209529066-PMPHEBOX1G53HOL8AZS4/5+-+Calypso_Site.png Home - Calypso - Calypso • David Sedaris ⭑ 7.5 Stars It had been a while since I last read one a David Sedaris book, and I’d forgotten how funny he can be - it’s an easy style of humor that I believe most people can enjoy, I highly recommend it! https://onereadreviews.com/home/sapiens monthly 0.5 2022-06-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1655209665083-1VD9B8SPALUMX62LFUQT/4+-+Sapiens_Site.png Home - Sapiens - Sapiens • Yuval Noah Harari ⭑ 5.4 Stars I’m not sure I understand the allure of this book. While it’s filled with interesting anecdotes that I was eager to share with those around me, the broader narrative felt too compact to deliver any meaningful insight, and I’ll be hard pressed to remember any of those interesting points a few weeks from now. Update: I can’t remember a single anecdote from this book six months later. https://onereadreviews.com/home/siddhartha monthly 0.5 2022-06-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1655209756250-NMM7RMNPWHCSYHSA2V2J/3+-+Siddhartha_Site.png Home - Siddhartha - Siddhartha • Herman Hesse ⭑ 8.7 Stars A wonderfully concise journey of self discovery, this short novel explores the search for meaning in parallel to, and at times directly alongside Guatama Buddha. It’s a quick read, but the message will stay with you long after the final page. https://onereadreviews.com/home/what-you-do-is-who-you-are monthly 0.5 2022-06-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1655209905057-77FA4I817VBFRIX1ZVZX/2+-+What+You+Do_Site.png Home - What You Do Is Who You Are - What You Do Is Who You Are • Ben Horowitz ⭑ 7.3 Stars What a company culture is and how it can shape individuals, organizations, and societies - this book shares interesting real life examples and provides a basic playbook for implementation. https://onereadreviews.com/home/zen-and-the-art-of-motorcycle-maintenance monthly 0.5 2022-06-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1655210210204-3D9B4929R4YVPBMFMSJQ/1+-+Zen_Site.png Home - Zen & The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance • Robert Persig ⭑ 8.2 Stars A philosophical analysis of what Quality is and how we can harness our values - I found this novel to be relatively approachable, thought provoking, and about fifty pages too long. https://onereadreviews.com/home/sun-also-rises monthly 0.5 2022-08-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1660658147548-MAFWBW3EGLGOD5X4AKNS/68+-+Sun+Also+Rises_Site.png Home - The Sun Also Rises - The Sun Also Rises • Ernest Hemingway ⭑ 6.7 Stars My spontaneous reconnection with the Lost Generation continues, dusting off Hemingway’s classic for a trip I took to Barcelona. As I remembered, it was a quick and easy read with plenty of opportunity to dive deep, which I didn’t do on this run through it perhaps leading to this mediocre review. https://onereadreviews.com/home/happy-go-lucky monthly 0.5 2022-08-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1660658274581-DM8BCFPLEI2IL805IVCB/69+-+Happy+Go+Lucky_Site.png Home - Happy-Go-Lucky - Happy-Go-Luck • David Sedaris ⭑ 7.0 Stars Like most of his published catalog, Sedaris delivers plenty of laughs in his latest collection of short stories, especially his observations about the COVID-19 pandemic. If you’re looking for a respite from more serious literature, this is quick read that’s both thoughtful and funny. https://onereadreviews.com/home/don-quixote monthly 0.5 2022-08-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/903b2324-cc26-459b-bb03-f2c1df13bc94/70+-+Don+Quixote_Site.png Home - Don Quixote - Don Quixote • Miguel de Cervantes ⭑ 6.1 Stars Despite earning my (entirely useful) college degree in English Literature, there are a number of recognizable "classics" that I've never read - this being one of them. While I did find the snapshot tale of the foolish knight funny at times, I found the book to be so unnecessarily long and repetitive that I’m genuinely curious how it’s stood the test of time. https://onereadreviews.com/home/four-agreements monthly 0.5 2022-08-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1657979828818-MW1B0R939G0SAB95ARO1/71+-+The+Four+Agreements_Site.png Home - The Four Agreements - The Four Agreements • Don Miguel Ruiz ⭑ 7.4 Stars A short-yet-enlightening book with a variety of overtones that somehow don’t distract from a simple message, how to find true and lasting happiness. https://onereadreviews.com/home/destination-void monthly 0.5 2022-09-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1657980085370-JF136LP3QHLFZTFXEWNJ/72+-+Destination+Void_Site.png Home - Destination: Void - Destination: Void • Frank Herbert ⭑ 8.1 Stars Having finished the Dune series a few months ago, I’ve been itching to return to Frank Herbert’s mind, and this book turned out to be the best place to begin that journey. I could write paragraphs about the intricacy of his plots, but what I find most remarkable is Herbert’s ability to explore a topic in such vivid detail across multiple universes and stories. In this book, he once again begins a quest to define consciousness (as he did many times in Dune), but with this effort does so in a way that feels eerily familiar to our modern day progress. Not only is Frank Herbert one of the best writers I’ve ever read, but it’s clear to me that he had a unique ability to predict the future. https://onereadreviews.com/home/build monthly 0.5 2022-10-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1660658797566-3W7X429YLHW422ERKOYS/73+-+Build_Site.png Home - Build - Build • Tony Fadell ⭑ 8.3 Stars It’s no surprise that I found a book written by someone with such an incredible history of building revolutionary products to be captivating. If you want a genuinely honest perspective on what it takes to build something from nothing, this book is for you! https://onereadreviews.com/home/fire-and-blood monthly 0.5 2022-11-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1662993944513-DNWFX46PPY0HVCJ12R2B/74+-+Fire+and+Blood_Site.png Home - Fire & Blood - Fire & Blood • George R. R. Martin ⭑ 7.2 Stars I had never read the source material for Game of Thrones, but was a fan of the television show. With HBO now producing the prequel story about the history of the Targaryen empire, I decided to give the book a chance. The success of the author is clearly warranted, not that my judgement is needed, but I found his writing style, attention to detail, and overall approach to be excellent - I now need to decide whether or not I should pick up the rest of the series that sparked the massive television hit! https://onereadreviews.com/home/innovation-stack monthly 0.5 2022-11-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1664822323976-CBPXBS9JBQ1NH6QA0H3I/75+-+Innovation+Stack_Site.png Home - The Innovation Stack - The Innovation Stack • Jim McKelvey ⭑ 7.7 Stars This is a book you should absolutely read if you ever intend to start a venture capital-sized business. From the very opening it’s made clear what that distinction is, through the authors blunt perspective that the overuse of the word entrepreneur has diluted its true meaning. The famed co-founder of Square goes on to explain that in order to actually start a venture capital-sized business, you’ll to build the layers that Jim lays out in his informative take on how generation-defining business first form, and how truly great companies evolve to change the world. https://onereadreviews.com/home/blood-meridian monthly 0.5 2023-03-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1667481630399-5EYSHHLUF2P90M6ZV12S/75+-+Blood+Meridian_Site.png Home - Blood Meridian - Blood Meridian • Cormac McCarthy ⭑ 5.2 Stars This was a difficult novel to rate, but it also felt difficult to get through, which is why I scored it on the lower end of the spectrum. While it is one of McCarthy’s more famous efforts and is filled with his trademark (oftentimes morbid) detail, this novel lacked a traditional narrative arc that would have eased the gruesome nature of the story itself. Instead, the reader is presented with a seemingly endless string of jump scenes that individually present a realistic view of the brutal landscape in early America, but collectively produce little progress for the central character or the people encounters on his journey. https://onereadreviews.com/home/high-growth-handbook monthly 0.5 2023-03-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1668000283025-LDWUVBXU1APYLRJDT88N/76+-+High+Growth+Handbook_Site.png Home - High Growth Handbook - High Growth Handbook • Elad Gil ⭑ 7.3 Stars Since its release in 2018, famed founder and investor Elad Gil’s playbook for how to manage rapid scale has grown to be revered by startup teams everywhere. Having contributed and watched the blitz scaling of multiple startups myself, praise for this book is absolutely warranted - it’s an incredible tool for anyone interested in understanding what to expect and how to handle precise situations that you’ll inevitably encounter along the way. https://onereadreviews.com/home/1q84 monthly 0.5 2023-03-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1677951234158-QY6L9VUQNR7DOVO4D9JB/77+-+1Q84_Site.png Home - 1Q84 - 1Q84 • Haruki Murakami ⭑ 6.4 Stars I didn’t love this novel, and while I can absolutely understand and appreciate why this book is so popular, it never captured my attention the way plenty of others have in the past. Perhaps it was the slow burn of competing storylines that was to blame, or perhaps it was the very storylines themselves. Regardless, I would never suggest that anyone skip a novel that’s as critically acclaimed as Murakami’s, and that’s not what I intend to do here. https://onereadreviews.com/home/belichick monthly 0.5 2023-03-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1677951676031-NH9PBYK6P0XO0VA7MRQR/78+-+Belichick_Site.png Home - Belichick - Belichick • Ian O’Conner ⭑ 7.0 Stars As an unapologetic New England Patriots fan, I can understand that this book may not be of interest to a lot of people. That said, I find it interesting to hear the details behind what it took for successful individuals to climb to the top of their industry or practice, and Bill Belichick certainly falls into that category whether or not you’re a fan of his team. https://onereadreviews.com/home/confederacy-of-dunces monthly 0.5 2023-05-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1677952276079-LD14UH5OAE3EQKKHSWF2/79+-+Confederacy+of+Dunces_Site.png Home - A Confederacy of Dunces - A Confederacy of Dunces • John Kennedy Toole ⭑ 5.3 Stars This novel has been on my list for a long time - over 10 years, in fact. I was supposed to read it in college multiple times, but never did get to it, and maybe reading it when I had originally intended to would have changed my perspective. Unfortunately, I don’t get the hype - there were certainly parts of it that produced a chuckle, but in general I found the plot and antics boring and unmemorable. https://onereadreviews.com/home/the-creative-act monthly 0.5 2023-05-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/7a22f1eb-e222-4046-ba41-562e19a350c3/80_The+Creative+Act_Site.png Home - The Creative Act - The Creative Act • Rick Rubin ⭑ 6.8 Stars It’s taken me a while to get this review up, I finished it early in the new year and that may end up being a positive, because as I sit down to write this I feel far more positive about it than I thought. A lot of what Rubin shares felt nonsensical in the moment, but I also found myself sharing passages with my team more than once, and more so than that I find myself going back to those passages often. The man is weird, no doubt, but there’s definitely wisdom in his words. https://onereadreviews.com/home/ready-player-one monthly 0.5 2023-06-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1687282411421-ZA1Q2VA0Z9H963CPDT9M/83_Ready+Player+One_Site.png Home - Ready Player One - Ready Player One • Ernest Cline ⭑ 8.2 Stars This book lives up to the hype, and to be honest I struggled to not rate it higher. That said, there were one too many moments where it felt the character would encounter a problem, but the build up was quickly resolved and the plot continued to move forward without too much friction. I also rated Snow Crash with a high mark, and because it was written first I’ll remain loyal to that rating as the bar. https://onereadreviews.com/home/four-thousand-weeks monthly 0.5 2023-06-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1682969752903-PLTMS9FGEF4AQQ40DMHS/82_Four+Thousand+Weeks_Site.png Home - Four Thousand Weeks - Four Thousand Weeks • Oliver Burkeman ⭑ 7.2 Stars In the interest of aligning with the subject matter of this book, I’ll keep my review brief - Burkeman’s book is absolutely worth a read or listen, if for no other reason than to provide you with an important reminder - life is short, don’t waste it. https://onereadreviews.com/home/great-ceo-within monthly 0.5 2023-06-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe50e84102ecc54664a92b9/1687283142411-O4CX7D76M2ESQMSQ75SI/84_Great+CEO+Within_Site.png Home - The Great CEO Within - The Great CEO Within • Matt Mochary ⭑ 8.0 Stars While it may not be relevant for everyone, I’m confident that you don’t need to be a CEO to find value in this book. Not only is it filled with tactical advise that’s applicable to professionals in most modern work environments, but Matt pulls from his years of experience mentoring some of the very best executives in the world to outline operating standards that can bring teams of people to the next level. https://onereadreviews.com/home/category/Non-Fiction monthly 0.5 https://onereadreviews.com/home/category/Fiction monthly 0.5